When　they　bedeck　themselves　with　ornaments　and　weapons；　and　display　their　fancy　foods　and　rich　properties；　they　thereby　invite　thievery。　This　is　acting　unnaturally。
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  What　is　deeply　rooted　in　Nature　cannot　be　uprooted。　He　who　embraces　Nature's　way　as　his　own　will　not　easily　go　astray；　And　his　children　and　grandchildren　will　continue　to　emulate　him。
  If　one　embodies　Nature's　way　in　his　own　life；　he　will　be　genuinely　intelligent。　If　he　establishes　it　in　his　family；　his　home　life　will　be　felicitous。　If　he　cultivates　it　in　he　community；　his　future　will　be　prosperous。　If　he　fosters　it　in　his　state；　his　future　will　be　auspicious。　If　he　inspires　in　in　the　whole　country；　his　benefit　will　become　universal。　Thus　one's　own　individual　life　serves　as　an　example　for　other　individuals。
  One's　family　life　serves　as　an　example　for　other　individuals。　One's　family　life　serves　as　a　model　for　other　families。　One's　community　serves　as　a　standard　for　other　communities。　One's　state　serves　as　an　ideal　for　other　states。
  How　do　I　know　all　this？　It　is　obvious。
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  He　who　is　intelligent　is　like　a　little　child。　Poisonous　insects　do　not　sting　him。　Ferocious　beasts　do　not　attack　him。　Wild　birds　do　not　claw　him。　His　bones　are　soft；　his　muscles　weak；　yet　is　grip　is　strong。
  Because　he　has　no　urge　for　sexual　union；　he　is　fully　satisfied。　His　vitality　is　intact。
  He　can　cry　all　day　without　getting　hoarse。　His　existence　is　harmonious。　To　know　such　harmony　is　to　be　in　accord　with　Nature。
  To　be　in　accord　with　Nature　is　to　be　achieving　the　goal　of　life。　But　to　seek　excitement　is　to　invite　calamity。　Those　too　eager　for　activity　soon　become　fatigued。
  For　when　things　exhaust　their　vigour；　they　age　quickly。　Such　impatience　is　against　Nature。　What　is　against　Nature　dies　young。
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  He　who　is　wise　keeps　silent。　He　who　advises　is　a　fool。
  The　wise　man　shuts　his　mouth；　Closes　his　doors；　Curbs　his　anxieties；　Withdraws　from　entanglements；　Remains　untempted　by　attractions；　And　retains　his　self…sufficiency。
  Nature　is　profoundly　impartial。　It　cannot　be　persuaded　by　pampering；　Nor　dissuaded　by　scoffing。　It　cannot　be　tempted　by　bribes；　Nor　influenced　by　injury。　It　cannot　be　cajoled　by　flattery；　Nor　chagrined　by　slander。　Thus　it　is　the　most　reliable　thing　in　the　world。
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  A　good　leader　guides　by　example；　A　bad　leader　resorts　to　force　and　intrigue。　Everything　gains　by　noninterference。　How　do　I　know　this？
  Consider　the　evidence：　The　more　restrictions　and　taxes　there　are；　the　poorer　the　people　become。　The　more　weapons　people　possess；　the　more　they　fight。
  The　more　complicated　machines　become；　the　greater　the　danger　from　mechanical　accident。　The　more　laws　are　enacted　and　taxes　assessed；　the　greater　the　number　of　law…breakers　and　tax…evaders。
  This　is　why　the　intelligent　man　concludes：　When　I　attend　to　my　own　business；　other　people　are　able　to　attend　to　theirs。　When　I　exemplify　self…reliance；　other　people　will　devote　themselves　to　the　exercise　of　their　own　intelligence。
  When　I　make　no　demands　upon　them；　other　people　themselves　will　prosper。　When　I　express　no　desire　to　interfere　in　their　lives；　others　will　become　genuinely　self…sufficient。
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  When　government　governs　little；　people　are　happy。　When　government　governs　much；　people　are　miserable。
  Thus　happiness　depends　on　little；　And　misery　depends　on　much。
  What　does　the　desire　to　govern　come　to？　To　restrict　interferers　is　itself　interference。　So　attempts　to　increase　happiness　end　only　in　misery。　Mankind　has　been　foolish　for　so　long　a　time！
  The　intelligent　man　knows　what　is　best；　but　does　not　make　others　conform。　He　knows　directions；　but　does　not　direct。　He　pursues　the　straightest　way　to　the　goal；　but　does　not　urge　others　to　deviate　from　their　course。　He　is　enlightened；　but　he　cares　not　whether　others　see　his　light。
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  In　managing　men　or　anything　else；　the　intelligent　man　uses　self…restraint。　Only　by　self…restraint　can　one　forestall　trouble。
  Forestalling　trouble　strengthens　one's　position。　Such　strengthened　position　enables　one　to　withstand　everything。　Withstanding　everything；　one　remains　unchallenged。
  Being　unchallenged；　one　governs　easily。　Because　he　embodies　Mother　Nature　within　himself；　he　retains　a　sound　position。
  This　is　the　way　to　be　deeply　rooted　and　firmly　based；　And　durable　and　long…lived。
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  Whether　governing　a　big　country　or　cooking　a　little　fish；　follow　Nature's　way　and　no　evil　tendencies　will　get　control。
  This　does　not　mean　that　the　dangers　of　evils　can　be　eliminated　entirely；　but　only　that　they　will　cease　to　harm　men。
  When　ordinary　men　are　unharmed；　their　leaders　are　unharmed。
  And　when　nobody　harms　anybody；　perfect　harmony　prevails。
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  To　be　great；　a　state　must　be　passively　receptive；　like　the　ocean　which　accepts　whatever　the　rivers　bring　into　it；　or　like　the　feminine　which　always　submits　to　the　masculine。　Recall　how　the　female　always　overcomes　the　male　by　means　of　her　passivity。　Passivity　is　submissiveness。
  Thus　the　great　state　places　itself　at　the　service　of　a　small　state　before　before　it　absorbs　the　small　state。　And　a　small　state　must　serve　the　interests　of　the　great　state　before　it　can　be　taken　into　the　great　state。
  Hence；　some　submit　in　order　to　take；　while　others　submit　in　order　to　be　taken。
  When　a　great　state　desires　to　have　more　people；　and　a　small　state　desires　to　be　protected；
  it　is　by　submission　that　both　obtain　what　they　desire。
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  Nature　is　profoundly　worth　while。　It　is　that　which　is　most　worth　while　for　good　men；　And　it　is　the　only　real　value　for　bad　men。
  Flattery　may　gain　favours；　and　gifts　may　help　one　to　advance；　But　bad　men　know　how　to　flatter　and　bribe。
  Therefore　when　leaders　are　installed　in　office；　Better　than　he　who　artfully　gives　lavish　gifts　and　glowing　tribute；　Is　one　who；　by　doing　nothing　but　accepting　his　natural　role　as　a　follower；　pays　genuine　homage。
  Why　have　men　always　valued　Nature？　Was　it　not　because　Nature　submitted　humbly　to　the　task　of　benefiting　the　good　and　the　bad　alike？　Is　this　not　the　reason　why　it　is　the　most　worth　while　thing　in　the　world？
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  Act　disinterestedly　…　without　intending　that　your　action　shall　change　the　course　of　Nature。　Behave　indifferently　…　without　trying　to　impose　your　own　ideas　upon　the　lives　of　others。　Appreciate　natural　flavours　…　without　adulterating　natural　foods　with　artificial　flavours。
  Accept　the　fact　that　what　is　small　grows　big；　and　what　are　few　become　many。　Respond　intelligently　even　to　unintelligent　treatment。
  Take　care　of　what　is　difficult　while　it　is　still　easy；　and　deal　with　what　will　become　big　while　it　is　yet　small；　For　all　difficult　things　originate　in　what　is　easy。
  The　most　difficult　things　in　the　world　Must　be　accomplished　through　the　easiest。　The　greatest　things　in　the　world　Must　be　accomplished　through　the　smallest。
  Therefore　the　intelligent　man；　although　never　troubling　himself　with　big　things；　still　accomplishes　the　same　result　（by　dealing　with　them　when　they　are　small）
  He　who　is　careless　about　things　when　they　are　easy　will　have　to　face　them　when　they　become　difficult。
  Therefore　the　intelligent　man；　although　dealing　with　things　which　will　become　difficult；　does　so　by　attending　to　them　while　they　are　not　difficult。
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  That　which　remains　quiet　is　easy　to　handle。　That　which　has　not　yet　developed　is　easy　to　manage；　That　which　is　weak　is　easy　to　control。　That　which　is　still　small　is　easy　to　direct。
  Deal　with　little　troubles　before　they　become　big。　Attend　to　little　problems　before　they　get　out　of　hand。
  For　the　largest　tree　was　once　a　sprout；　The　tallest　tower　started　with　a　single　brick；　And　the　longest　journey　began　with　a　first　stem。
  Just　as　he　who　tries　to　hasten　what　is　natural；　must　fail　in　his　attempt；　So　he　who　tries　to　retard　what　is　natural；　must　fail　in　his　attempt。
  Since　the　intelligent　man　does　not　seek　to　accelerate；　he　does　not　make　waste；　And　since　he　does　not　try　to　restrain；　he　does　not　fail。　People　are　as　likely　to　go　wrong　in　not　letting　things　come　to　their　normal　conclusions　as　they　are　in　not　letting　them　start　in　their　own　way。
  The　intelligent　man　has　no　desire　to　redirect　and　no　desire　for　what　is　hard　to　get。　He　has　learned　to　be　unlearned；　and　returned　to　the　way　which　learned　men　have　forgoten。　He　lets　each　thing　develop　in　its　own　way；　without　any　attempt　to　intervene。
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  Originally　people　knew　how　to　follow　Nature；　For　they　did　not　try　to　arouse　in　the　people　an　interest　in　cunning；　but　let　them　remained　unspoiled。
  The　shrewder　people　are；　the　harder　they　are　to　govern。　Therefore　to　try　to　improve　government　by　means　of　increasing　cleverness　in　people　is　to　endanger　it。　But　to　improve　government　by　encouraging　honesty　in　the　people　is　beneficial。
  The　comprehend　the　significance　of　these　two　ways　is　to　be　profoundly　intelligent。
  Profound　intelligence　is　that　penetrating　and　pervading　power　To　restore　all　things　to　their　original　harmony。
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  Rivers　and　seas　dominate　the　landscape；　Because；　by　being　good　at　seeking　the　lowest　places；　they　fill　and　occup